Columnists - The Durango Herald

Report reveals alarming scope of substance abuse in U.S.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently published a landmark report on alcohol, drugs and health. According to the report, almost 21 million people in America have a substance use diso...

DATE: Nov 23, 2016 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Durango has that special ‘snuggle factor’

It happened again this week. Durango received yet another accolade to add to its ever-expanding list of awards, recognitions and rankings. Sure, we understand being called out as...

DATE: Nov 22, 2016 | CATEGORY: A Take on Tourism

Pay little attention to all the post-election hype

WASHINGTON – Elections regularly inspire an orgy of hype – and so it is with this one. The Democrats are in disarray, it’s said. Unless they’re enormously skillful or lucky, they...

DATE: Nov 20, 2016 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

Shipping containers won’t be converted to ADU village at Durango’s Walmart

I was driving past Walmart and I noticed a bunch of shipping containers in the front parking lot. Is Walmart starting a “tiny house” development on site? The store already allows camping the...

DATE: Nov 20, 2016 | CATEGORY: Action Line

A common-sense way to protect waterways

No one living in the Four Corners last August can be in any doubt as to the importance of regulations protecting water quality. Community members along the Animas River from Silverton to Far...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: From our Congressman

Facing the new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration within America

Since the early 1990s, crime rates have been steadily decreasing and are currently at an all-time low. However, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, incarceration rates within the ...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: From our Congressman

When you’re living inside a bubble

In my small town in Southwest Colorado, those who did not vote for Donald Trump seemed numbed and stunned by the result. Mostly college-educated and originally from away, they grouped in the...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: From our Congressman

For Colorado, a lot of good came of 2016 election

Although I lost my bid for re-election to the Colorado House, there were many blessings that came out of the election. I am happy for Colorado. Amendment 69, ColoradoCare, was ...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: From our Congressman

How to plan your holiday vacations

Confidential to procrastinators: Thanksgiving is only a couple weeks away. Do you really want to wait until the last minute to plan your holiday travel? Not this year. You don’t n...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

What does your dog think when you ... ?

La Plata County Humane Society Buster your well-trained dog spends most of his day home alone, sleeping. You arrive home from work, school or wherever you spend your d...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: From the Humane Society

The drama, the passion of tango is coming to Concert Hall

By Ann Butler Neighbors Columnist At the end of October, I took a night off from the newsroom to go watch Las Migas, a group of young women from Spain who perform music...

DATE: Nov 19, 2016 | CATEGORY: Neighbors

Neighbors: Adaptive Sports celebrates accessible recreation

By Ann Butler Neighbors Columnist It was standing-room-only at the Durango Adaptive Sports Association’s Harvest Gala in late October. A sold-out crowd of 14...

DATE: Nov 18, 2016 | CATEGORY: Neighbors